47th Border Music Camp holds final concert at The Scots School Albury

The 47th Border Music Camp held its final concert at The Scots School Albury, ending a week of rehearsals and workshops for 160 campers and more than 40 tutors and staff.

Composer-in-residence Andrew Aronowicz created works for the massed choir and three of the six ensembles as well as an opening fanfare.

Director Alastair McKean, who has filled that role for 25 camps, said last year's event, held in September after a two-year COVID break, attracted about 140 students.

"Before the pandemic we were getting about 220 as a rule, so there's still rebuilding to do," he said.

"Across all music education there's kids who would have started learning an instrument during the pandemic or who gave up during the pandemic ... so there's this gap that's going to work its way through the system over the next 10 to 12 years.

"But the fact that our beginner wind band was bigger than our intermediate wind band actually says to me that there's growth at that beginner end, so that's great."

About two-thirds of the campers come from the Border, North East and Riverina, with the rest mostly travelling from Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, although two came from Thailand.

Former camper and now tutor Laura Moore said conducting the staff and students in the massed choir proved "an adventure".

"We always have fun," she said.

"Learning a little bit about using our voices but mainly just working as a team.

"It was a bit daunting but looking out at those 200-odd people and they're all looking engaged, excited.

"It's like a summary of what the whole week has been - energy, enthusiasm, which just comes from working with really great musicians."

Mr McKean noted the number of campers who went on to make a career of music and came back as teaching staff.

"Obviously it's not all about producing professional musicians," he said.

"It's about producing people who love music, and who play music and who listen to music, but if you've got people who are getting to that sort of level, that's pretty cool."

And the director agrees having fun remains a key goal of Border Music Camp.

"There has got to be joy in making music and I think that's something that we do here really well," Mr McKean said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: